Dear Sir, - More power to your elbow on the topic of limbless ladies and kindred thrills. The powerful attraction towards the opposite sex because of, and not necessarily in spite of, the absence of a limb or limbs, is perfectly rational. It takes all kinds to make a world, and a variety is the spice of life. The attraction is particularly overwhelming if the female of the specie takes pains with her appearance and personality.
Through heart-rending, the loss normally is, the sooner one acclimatises oneself to the new condition, the better for one's mind. It is, of course a question of outlook, or, rather, adaptability. Shooting a line in a exhibitionist sense is better than mopping; for he who cries, cries alone.
Further, as the fascination exists (as proved by countless letters in "London Life"), let it have the bright light of publicity, this exciting facet of his amazingly vivid world.
Some of the potentially most glamorous women are lost to us, due to a mistaken sense of uselessness and frustration - the latter not infrequently caused through small-minded relatives, misplaced sympathy, and nonsense of outworn prudery, often starting a ghastly train of thought lasting maybe a lifetime.
The mental wrench required to lift oneself aloof from this negative outlook takes character of a kind I lift my hat to. Admiration goes out in heaps to the female who notwithstanding and let it be marked, because of her one-legged or one-armed condition, rises superior to her fate.
When to deal and what card to play from her array of agile tricks, etc., to her opposite number, should her reason indicate a limbless hunch on the part of the man, must become part of her technique in building her new world. Though this predilection for lop-sided ladies is frequently labelled a kink, it goes deeper than many amputees may perceive at first inspection. Nor is it the prerogative of any class of society, or country, though I must say French intelligence recognises it readily.
A very good instance of this occurred to me in Paris in 1934, when I met a charming girl who used a fascinating array of peg legs and crutches, quite in keeping with Wallace Stort's material. I remember Jeanette inviting me to inspect her "veritable arsenale chez moi" tickled my sense of humour immensely. What a grand pal she is!
One aspect of the attraction of a smart, handicapped woman - or should I say another facet of the jewel? - is the not often discussed pull that lamed and maimed girls have. For an engaging woman of this nature I have automatically adopted the nomenclature "Thrill." Here again, personality and full use of natural and artificial looks, wins appeal. who can deny the guts of a girl who throws herself into social life with deliberate lack of embarrassment?
Let constraining tongues click as they may. She has stepped outside the sphere of prudish convention in order to live fully. A woman of this type chooses her accouterments and accessories (blank balance permitting) with deliberation and fastidiousness.
No one has tackled the above issue in "London Life", as far as I remember, and it would be to have readers' opinions.
With a wisely chosen philosophy one can bear even pain; and "London Life" has done splendidly in introducing Wallace Stort's material, illustrated by Miss Stanton, as also Miss Joan Roper's articles and letters by innumerable correspondents, including "Admirer of Monopedes" (lucky dog, to have known Elsie!), "Dorree," etc.
Yours truly,
Predilected.